Average Pontoon Boat Weight With 51 Popular Examples

How much does a typical pontoon boat weigh? How much would it cost to build a pontoon boat? What kind of materials should I use?

Pontoon boats are often used for fishing, boating, or water sports. They are also very common at lake resorts and marinas. The average pontoon boat is highly desirable thanks to its monohull design.

While it might be tempting to purchase a pontoon boat due to its appearance and desirability, many people overlook the overall weight of one and whether they will be able to transport it or not.

Today we’ll be looking at the average pontoon boat weight as well as over 50 examples.

What Is A Pontoon Boat?

A pontoon boat is a type of boat that has a flat bottom with pontoons on top. It’s usually made from fiberglass or plastic

The word “pontoon” comes from the French word meaning “bridge”. This name was given because these boats were designed to look like bridges.

Pontoon boats are made to remain afloat thanks to large rubber floats attached all around the sides. These boats will often have seating all around the perimeter of them and a shade secured overhead.

These boats are great for gatherings and parties, or simply lounging on the water.

An Average Pontoon Boat Weight

Not every pontoon boat weighs the same because there are factors to determine this, such as its size, design, and the manufacturing process that it went through. However, the overall weight for this type of boat often averages out at around 2200 pounds.

There is also the question of the maximum capacity that this boat can withhold as this will tell you what the maximum overall weight will be. For example, if a 2200 lb pontoon boat could hold 1800 lb of people and gear, the maximum total of the boat would be 4000 lb.

So, the overall weight for this type of boat while it is on the water is averaged at around 4000 lb. But don’t forget about the overall weight of the gas, which is around 6 lb for every gallon within the boat’s engine.

When transporting your boat from the water, you also need to consider the trailer’s weight. This can add another 1200 lb to your load, taking the average weight well over the 5000 lb mark.

As you can imagine, that’s a lot of weight for your car to carry. So, you’ll need a powerful vehicle with a capacity for towing 2500 lb (as a minimum) more than how much the pontoon boat weighs while it’s on the water.

An example of this would be if your boat has a maximum weight of 4000 lb, your vehicle’s towing capacity will need to be 6500 lb or more.

Example Weights Of Pontoon Boats

As we mentioned earlier, the overall weight of an average pontoon boat is around 2200 pounds, although this can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. Not every pontoon has been made with the same materials and dimensions, so their weights are going to fluctuate greatly.

Let’s take a look at some examples. The Lowe Ultra 162 Fish & Cruise pontoon boat weighs 1629 pounds when dry, whereas the Tahoe Vision Funship weighs 4830 pounds!

The overall weight of the pontoon boat is going to be dependent on its length and size, as well as how the manufacturer has made it. Some have motors installed onto them, while others have double or even triple motors.

This can all make the decision of which pontoon boat to get much harder than you might have first thought it to be.

To make this research a little easier for you, we have found the overall weight of 51 pontoon boats below.

In this table you will see the boat’s name, its length in feet, and how much it will weigh out of the water.

However, this isn’t always an accurate way of determining the weight and how much you’re going to have to tow.

For this reason, we then made a note of the number of people that the boat can accommodate while on the water as well as the maximum load capacity. This will include the people on board as well as all of your equipment and accessories.

Finally, the last column tells you the total weight of the boat once you have maxed out the load capacity.

Name Of Boat	Length (feet)	Weight of Dry Hull (lbs)	Maximum People Capacity	Maximum Load Capacity (lb)	Total Weight (lb)
Lowe Ultra 162 Fish & Cruise	16	1,629	8	1,640	3,269
Lowe Ultra 160 Cruise	16	1,605	8	1,659	3,264
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX	16	1,175	7	1,600	2,775
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL	16	1,310	7	1,550	2,860
Avalon Venture Fish16FT	16	1,350	6	1,350	2,700
Avalon Venture CRB/QL	16	1,350	6	1,350	2,700
Tahoe Sport CRB/QL	16	1,350	6	1,350	2,700
Starcraft LX 16R	17	1,275	6	1,400	2,675
Starcraft LX 18F	19	1,425	8	1,575	3,000
Starcraft EX Fish 18F	18	1,425	8	1,075	2,500
Starcraft EXS 1	20	1,850	9	1,270	3,120
Lowe Ultra 202 Fish & Cruise	20	1,792	11	2,214	4,006
Lowe Ultra 200 Cruise	20	1,780	11	2,219	3,999
Harris Cruiser LX 200	20	1,780	11	2,196	3,976
Sun Tracker Party Barge 18 DLX	20	1,495	9	1,750	3,245
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX	20	1,420	8	1,775	3,195
Harris Sunliner 210	21	2,503	13	3,163	5,666
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 20 DLX	21	1,695	10	1,900	3,595
Starcraft SLS 1	21	2,055	11	2,350	4,405
Starcraft CX 21 C	21	1,850	10	1,410	3,260
Starcraft EX 22 C	22	2,100	11	1,500	3,600
Lowe SD224	22	2,180	12	2,404	4,584
Tahoe LTZ Cruise 22FT	22	1,800	10	2,035	3,835
Tahoe Cascade Platinum Cruise	22	2,150	11	2,150	4,300
Avalon LSZ Cruize 22FT	22	1,800	10	2,035	3,835
Avalon LS Quad Longer 22FT	22	1,750	9	1,805	3,555
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 XP3	24	2,885	11	2,400	5,285
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 RF DLX	24	2,000	11	2,200	4,200
Lowe SF234	24	1,840	12	2,408	4,248
Lowe SF232	24	2,136	13	2,297	4,433
Ranger 223FC	24	3,104	11	2,300	5,404
Ranger 220FC	24	2,120	10	2,130	4,250
Ranger 223F	24	2,639	11	2,300	4,939
Ranger 220F	24	2,320	10	2,050	4,370
Ranger 220C	24	2,360	10	2,100	4,460
Ranger 223C	24	2,360	11	2,300	4,660
Tahoe LTZ Cruise 24FT	24	2,050	11	2,260	4,310
Starcraft SLS3	24	2,750	12	2,600	5,350
Starcraft EX 24 R	24	2,471	13	1,775	4,246
Harris Grand Mariner 230	25	3,906	14	2,676	6,582
Harris Sunliner 250	25	3,316	16	3,653	6,969
Lowe Retreat 250 WT	25	2,715	13	2,363	5,078
Lowe SS250 Extended Walk Thru	25	2,336	15	2,543	4,879
Starcraft 25 R DC	26	2,542	14	1,940	4,482
Tahoe LTZ Cruise 26 FT	26	2,250	13	2,505	4,755
Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 XP3	26	3,159	12	2,800	5,959
Lowe Retreat 270 Extended WT	28	3,530	14	2,763	6,293
Lowe SS270 Extended Walk Thru	28	3,281	15	2,877	6,158
Tahoe Cascade Platinum Quad Longer	28	2,650	14	2,675	5,325
Harris Crowne DL 250	28	4,294	15	3,721	8,015
Harris Crowne SL 250 Twin Engine	28	4,640	11	3,721	8,361
Tahoe Vision Funship	28	4,830	14	3,290	8,120

The Importance Of Knowing Your Boat’s Weight

When buying a pontoon boat, one of the most important things that you will need to know is what the weight is – both dry and on the water. This will help you to remain safe at all times as well as improve your experience on the water.

Not only that but being aware of how much your boat weighs will ensure that you can tow it to and from the water, even when it is holding all of your gear onboard.

When you know the capacity of your boat, you can confidently use it without the risk of overfilling it and potentially causing a dangerous situation.

You should always follow the boat’s limitations when using it, no matter whether that is for a fast-paced ride or a relaxing gathering with your friends. You can be in danger on a boat when stationary as well as moving, so don’t underestimate the limitations.

Another thing to consider is the fact that your boat’s weight will affect the speed at which it runs at. The heavier the boat, the slower it will travel. This is true whether you have loaded your gear onto it or not.

A Tip For Working Out Your Boat’s Weight

If you’re unsure about how much your pontoon boat weighs and you can’t find any information on it online, you can always contact the manufacturer to see if they have an answer for you.

However, if you still cannot get an answer, then there is a general rule of thumb that you can go with.

This rule dictates that for each foot of length on your pontoon boat, it will weigh 100 pounds. An example of this is that a 16-foot boat will weigh, on average, 1600 pounds.

Now you have to remember to account for the additional equipment onboard such as fire extinguishers, anchors, and fuel.

Weights You Should Know

There are three different weight categories that you should know when it comes to your pontoon boat. Here they are listed with a quick explanation of each one:

• Dry Weight: This is how much your boat will weigh when it is dry and without any of the accessories within it, such as the engine and fuel.
• Total Weight: Otherwise known as the overall weight of the boat when carrying all of its passengers, engine, fuel, and other accessories.
• Combined Weight: This is also known as the tow weight and it is the weight of the boat and your trailer together. This is the weight that you will be towing behind your vehicle.

How To Tow Your Pontoon Boat Safely

Now that we’ve covered some of the basics of how much your boat weighs, let us move on to discussing how you can safely tow it.

There are several factors that you will need to take into consideration before attempting to tow your boat. These include the type of hitch used, the size of your vehicle, and the distance between your vehicle and your boat.

Towing your boat can be a worrying situation because you don’t want to damage your car or your boat. You’ll need to know the safe way of doing this before attempting to tow your boat, so don’t rush into this action.

A basic boat trailer will weigh between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds, and the dry boat will weigh an average amount of 2,200 pounds. This means that the towing weight for your boat is going to be around 3,400 to 3,600 pounds.

With the engine, fuel, and other equipment on the boat, you should add another 1,400 pounds onto this weight, making it around 5,000 pounds. It’s important to add a safety margin of 500 pounds, to be on the safe side, so your towing capacity is around 5,500 pounds.

Most people find that a vehicle towing capacity of between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds is enough for their pontoon boats.

Make sure that your vehicle has this towing capacity to avoid damaging your car in the process. If your vehicle does not have this towing capacity, then you should borrow another vehicle that does or pay for your boat to stay hitched in the marina.

Tips For Towing A Boat Safely

Now that you have the correct towing capacity to move your boat from A to B, it’s time to get going! This part can be a little stressful if you aren’t confident towing large loads behind you. So, take a deep breath and follow the safety tips below that we have outlined for you.

1. When turning, take a wide berth and go slowly.
2. Ensure that your car has a sufficient towing capacity of over 5500 pounds.
3. Make sure that the tires of your vehicle and trailer are in contact with the floor at all times.
4. Check that the towing capacity for your car is larger than its total weight.
5. Ensure that your brakes are in excellent working order.
6. Use a cover on the pontoon boat to avoid dirt and debris getting caught in it.
7. Stay alert at all times while driving.
8. Have at least 4 straps holding the boat down to the trailer, and use more if you have them.
9. Connect the trailer and vehicle with a brake wire.
10. Keep your weight central throughout the vehicle and the trailer, as much as possible.

Summary

We hope you found this information useful in learning about how much the pontoon boat is likely to weigh and the best way to safely tow it. There are three weights that you should know when it comes to the pontoon boat, so make sure to keep these safe somewhere for future use.

When towing the pontoon boat, always be safe and read up on the towing capacity of your vehicle beforehand. Happy sailing!